Nesiba and Kirschman Each Draw Female Former Legislator Support; Buhl O’Donnell Supports Nesiba

I was going to advance the theory that, based on campaign finance reports, Rep. Patrick Kirschman is winning the fellas, while Dr. Reynold Nesiba is the ladies’ man.

Former legislators Sandy Jerstad offers some support for that hypothesis this letter urging her neighbors to vote for Nesiba in the District 15 Democratic Senate primary:

Reynold Nesiba is a long-time friend and a person who is not afraid to stand up for what is right. He is exactly the kind of person we need in the South Dakota State Senate. Not only will he speak on behalf of those of us who believe we need transparency in government, a 36 percent cap on payday loan companies, removal of the tax on food, and an increase in minimum wages, he will actually do something about those issues.

If you are concerned as I am about corruption in state government, including the E-B5 program, the Gear-up program in Platte, and finding out exactly where our tax money is going when we send it to Pierre, vote for Reynold Nesiba. You will be glad you did [Sandy Jerstad, letter to the editor, that Sioux Falls paper, 2016.06.01].

But Jerstad’s letter (and my hypothesis) is countered by former Rep. Mary Glenski’s support for Kirschman:

When I retired from the South Dakota Legislature “to visit my 20 grandchildren,” Patrick Kirschman was elected to my District 15 seat in the House. After eight years experience in the House, he is now a candidate for the open Dist. 15 Senate seat.

I would encourage you to consider voting for Kirschman for Senate in the Democratic Primary on June 7 (or by absentee ballot). A long time resident of Dist. 15, he has represented his constituents well. Once he was even the prime sponsor in the House of SB 199, an effort to stop unfair taxation of a labor training facility, which passed without a single “no” vote and was signed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard. That doesn’t happen very often in the S.D. Legislature.

In past election, the Dist. 15 Democratic Primary has determined who will represent us in Pierre. Democrats and independents can vote in the Democratic Primary, June 7.

Let’s vote June 7, to send Patrick Kirschman to Pierre as our Dist. 15 Senator [Mary Glenski, letter to the editor, that Sioux Falls paper, 2016.05.26].

Besides, Nesiba is also rousing some gentlemanly support from, for example, progressive tax advocate Lanny Stricherz:

As we near the primary election, voters in District 15 are faced with a dilemma. On one hand, they have four time incumbent, Pat Kirschman. On the other, they have professor of economics at Augustana, Reynold Nesiba. The professor, being the progressive that he is, understands the impact of sales tax on the poor and middle class. Incumbent Kirschman, on the other hand, was a cosponsor of HB 1116, who also sat on the taxation committee which referred this bill to the full House. Apparently, he does not have that same understanding.

You see, what this bill would have done, if it had not been defeated on the floor of the Senate, was to allow cities and municipalities to add a third penny sales tax. That would be in addition to the property tax that they already collect.

I know how I intend to vote, Reynold Nesiba [link added; Lanny Stricherz, letter to the editor, that Sioux Falls paper, 2016.05.31].

The Minnehaha County auditor won’t break down Tuesday’s vote by gender, but it would be interesting to see how Kirschman and Nesiba fare among the ladies and the gentlemen of District 15.

Update 07:41 CDT: Oh! But then I switch on my Twitter and find Nesiba broadcasting the love he’s getting from the lady legislator he’d hopes to succeed, District 15 Senator Angie Buhl O’Donnell:

How will that incumbent “encouragement and support” affect Nesiba’s District 15 tally?